Chrome “autobrowsing” brings agentic AI to everyday web tasks
Google is rolling out what it calls a mainstream agentic AI for Chrome: autobrowsing. The idea is simple, but the implication is big—Chrome doesn’t just help you fill fields anymore, it can take a task and attempt to complete it.
Google positions autobrowsing as the natural next step after traditional autofill, which already stores things like credit cards and inserts them at checkout. With autobrowsing, you assign the goal and Chrome tries to carry it through—while still keeping a final approval step (like confirming a purchase) in your hands.
What autobrowsing is designed to do in Chrome
Autobrowsing is framed as task automation that can span multiple steps, including:
- Filling out PDFs
- Renewing drivers’ licenses
- Researching trips
- Scheduling
- Booking reservations
So instead of you bouncing between tabs, copying details, and hunting for the right form field, Chrome tries to do the “work” portion for you—then pauses where it matters most.
Who gets Chrome autobrowsing—and what it costs
Autobrowsing is not launching for everyone. It arrives for Chrome users who subscribe to:
- Google AI Pro ($19.99/month)
- Google AI Ultra ($249.99/month)
Google also announced Google AI Plus ($7.99/month), but that plan will not include autobrowse features.
Why the paid gate matters (and why it still signals a mainstream shift)
Agentic browsing isn’t new in the industry. Other companies have shown similar directions—demonstrations and modes from Microsoft, as well as agentic-style browsing from OpenAI and others.
But Chrome’s position changes the stakes. With Chrome holding a dominant share of the desktop browser market in North America (Statcounter is cited as reporting about 65%), even a paid-only launch is a meaningful “mainstreaming” moment: it’s a major browser betting that agentic actions belong in normal browsing, not just in demos.
How you’ll use autobrowsing: the Gemini AI sidebar inside Chrome
Google is tying autobrowsing to the same place you interact with Gemini: a browser sidebar.
You’ll open it by clicking a small Gemini icon at the top of the browser, which launches the sidebar and a text box. From there, you can ask Gemini to start handling tasks—essentially turning the browser into an action layer, not just a viewing layer.
A privacy-related promise: sidebar actions aren’t shared back to sites
Google executives stated that information “that’s happening on the right-hand side is not shared back with the site.” In other words, Chrome is presenting the agentic work as occurring in a separate assistant context rather than as something the website directly receives as “assistant output.”
The Gemini sidebar is rolling out to everyone—and it leans on “personal intelligence”
While autobrowsing is limited to paid tiers, the Gemini sidebar itself is rolling out to all Chrome users.
Google says the sidebar will tap what it calls “personal intelligence”—meaning it can remember past conversations and information you’ve shared with it, and this is included in AI Mode.
Gemini can use data from connected apps like Gmail (if you allow it)
If you’ve allowed Google access to apps like Gmail, that information can be used too. That’s a key point: the sidebar isn’t just a generic chatbot bolted onto the browser. It’s positioned as an assistant that can draw from your own Google-connected context—assuming you’ve granted permission.
Chrome adds Nano Banana for in-browser image editing (and copyright questions follow)
Another addition mentioned is support for Nano Banana, described as Google’s image rendering algorithm.
Chrome will be able to use Nano Banana to pull in and edit an image in your browser—and notably, that includes images not just ones you own.
The unresolved issue: protections for editing images you don’t own
Google executives couldn’t say whether copyright protections will be in place, or whether users will simply be able to instruct the algorithm to edit images regardless. That uncertainty is part of what makes this feature feel powerful… and also a little messy, depending on how it’s implemented and governed.
Autobrowsing may expand beyond premium tiers over time
For now, autobrowsing is reserved for paying subscribers. But Google’s stance is that it likely won’t stay that way: it may move to cheaper tiers over time if it proves successful.
That’s the pattern being implied here—launch high, validate demand, then expand.
Q&A
Q1: What is “autobrowsing” in Google Chrome?
Autobrowsing is Chrome’s agentic AI capability that can take a task you assign—like filling out PDFs, researching a trip, or booking reservations—and attempt to complete the steps for you, leaving final confirmation actions to you.
Q2: Do all Chrome users get autobrowsing?
No. Autobrowsing is launching for subscribers to Google AI Pro ($19.99/month) or Google AI Ultra ($249.99/month). The Gemini sidebar, however, is rolling out to all Chrome users.
Q3: What’s the concern with Nano Banana image editing in Chrome?
Nano Banana can let Chrome pull in and edit images from your browser, including images you don’t own. Google executives couldn’t confirm whether copyright protections will exist, raising questions about how that editing will be handled.
